When we started this blog two years ago, one of our goals was to share all the different ways you can decorate and arrange similar spaces, especially Del Ray’s signature rowhouses and bungalows. We’d love to know what you are working on in your homes — do you have a room you are in the middle of decorating? How do you overcome design challenges? Have you finished a room and want to show others what you have done? Email us at info[at]diydelray.com and let us know! Today I’m sharing a room I’m currently working on, my master bedroom. Since I bought my rowhouse almost ten years ago, I’ve never been happy with how the master bedroom looked. It’s kind of a mish-mash of various pieces of furniture collected at different times in my life, there are three bookcases taking up valuable space (there’s no place for them in the rest of the house) and I have a bad track record with picking paint colors. Instead of getting rid of everything...

Last year, my gardening guru and neighbor Eileen told me the bright yellow forsythia blooms are a cue to get started on some Spring jobs around the garden. Now that I’ve seen a few blossoms, I’m itching to do something with my pathetic neglected garden. But I also started thinking of some other jobs around the home. 1. Give Your Home a Check-up Before the heat and humidity arrive, you might be calling for a tune-up for your air conditioner, so why not have your plumber give your hot water heater a little look-see as well. Don’t be like me and let it fester there for years on the brink of disaster. If you’re concerned about home security, you can call the Alexandria Police Department for a free home assessment. They’ll help you determine the need for any improvements/upgrades to your home. 2. Love the Earth There are lots of easy eco-friendly jobs you can do around the house. Last summer I made reusable sandwich/snack bags for lunches. So far they have...

Living on a street of typical 1950s identical rowhouses, it’s always interesting to see how people decorate the inside of their homes — their paint choices, furniture arrangements and at this time of year, how they decorate for the holidays. There isn’t much wiggle room in these houses — every last inch serves a purpose for something — but that hasn’t limited the festiveness or desire to create a warm and cozy haven. My neighbors John and Laura and their dog Patton are fortunate to have one of the few end units on our block so their house has two windows on the side. They placed their tree by one of the windows, in sight of passersby on the sidewalk below. John proudly showed his Star Wars Lego Advent calendar to my boys, whose eyes lit up as John shared the latest treasure. Their tree is decorated with multi-colored lights and all sorts of ornaments — some representing places John and Laura have visited as well as old family favorites. There are even a...

In September we announced a special offer for a DIY Del Ray reader — a 50 percent discount on a 2-hour home design consult with a professional interior designer, Katie Moore of Olios Design. One of the responses we received was from Eric and Beth who say they haven’t had a chance to do anything with the rowhouse they purchased last fall. They wanted help transforming a house decorated with rental relics into a modern, yet comfortable space for them and their 2-year-old daughter Ellie. The consult was an opportunity to talk through their issues and create a plan leading them in the right design direction. Eric and Beth live in a classic Warwick Village charmer. The narrow front entrance leads to an open and airy shared living and dining room. But this wide open space has caused the couple some design confusion. How do they better define the different functions in the space? How can they make it more “mature” and less like a kid’s playroom? How can they get the “put-together” look...

If you follow local Del Ray news then you most likely know Drew Hansen, editor of the Del Ray Patch. But if you don’t know him personally, chances are you’ve seen him at one of our local community events or logging office hours at St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub. We officially met Drew last year and we were thrilled when a random conversation ended with him asking us for help decorating his apartment. We’re not interior designers, but we do love brainstorming ways to rearrange furniture, pondering decorating styles, and sharing some of the interesting ideas we’ve seen at other homes in Del Ray. Drew just moved into his current apartment, situated in a century old building in the heart of Del Ray. Last week we visited his apartment and off the bat noticed a few things: A lack of personalization Not enough color variation Some odd furniture choices/lack of functional storage Awkward lighting But we also noticed a few things about Drew too — he’s laid back, down to earth,...

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DIY Del Ray is about enjoying your home, your family and your neighborhood. Follow along as we talk about interior design, unique storage solutions, living with kids, home improvement and craft projects, entertaining and more.